Xbox One Sells 1M Units In 24 Hours, Ties PS4

REDMOND, WASH. — The results from the first 24 hours of selling both Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One next-generation gaming consoles set new records, with both cruising to a dayone tie.

Sony and Microsoft each reported selling more than 1 million units in the first 24 hours of launch. The PlayStation 4 launched Nov. 15 in the United States and Canada, and the Xbox One launched Nov. 22nd in 13 countries, including the United States.

Sony said a portion of its 1 million PlayStation 4 sales included pre-orders.

The net result is both platforms sold through their respective initial alottments of inventory at many retailers including Best Buy and Gamestop, and both companies said are striving to get more supply to meet demand.

In both cases the launch numbers set new records for gaming consoles, and retailer Game Stop said unfilled pre-orders for both consoles amounts to about 2.3 million.

In a statement, Microsoft said it is “working to replenish stock as fast as possible to meet the unprecedented demand from our customers.”

In a conference call with analysts, Game Stop said sales of the PlayStation 4 were already 80 percent higher than the launch of the PlayStation 3.

The two companies are vying for top share in a previously sluggish video game market, which both hope to revive. According to The NPD Group, the console market shrank 32 percent to $13.3 billion from 2008 to 2012.

Both machines stress more power, upgraded graphics capability and expansive entertainment options beyond gaming. The Xbox One sells for $499, while the PS4 is offered for $399.

The Xbox One launched with 22 gaming titles and offered a host of home entertainment functions in addition to gaming.

Among the top draws to the Xbox One platform are a range of popular exclusive game franchises including Forza Motorsport 5 and Halo.

The system includes a re-worked Kinect motion control system, attaches to cable TV to display programming in onscreen guide, and offers voicecontrol applications.